Senate Bill 838
A human trafficking victim services grant program, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. (FE)
Topics: Crime and criminals, Crime victim, Justice, Department of, Organization, Miscellaneous
Stopped before the full Senate voted
The recommended passing it, but the full Senate never voted on it. The last day for votes this session was Mar 19, 2026. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
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Introduced, passed
Jan 15, 2026
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Senate vote, stopped here
Stopped here. The full Senate never voted on it.
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Assembly vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 833. That version died when the session ended.
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
This bill establishes a grant program, administered by the Department of Justice, that provides grants to nonprofit organizations to provide support services to trafficking victims. The bill defines “support services” to mean any combination of direct victim advocacy, safety planning, housing, substance use disorder treatment, medical and behavioral health, job training, and employment support services. Under the bill, to be eligible for a grant, a nonprofit organization must submit an application that that describes the organization’s efforts to coordinate with local law enforcement agencies and includes a proposed plan for expenditure of the grant moneys, and the nonprofit organization must provide private matching funds that are equal to at least 50 percent of the grant amount. The bill provides $2,500,000 biennially for such grants.
Who's behind it
3 senators are its . 2 are Democrats and 1 is a Republican.
15 more lawmakers .
See all 18 names Hide the names
Authors (3)
- Jodi Habush Sinykin · Democrat, Senate
- André Jacque · Republican, Senate
- Mark Spreitzer · Democrat, Senate
Signed on in support (15)
- Clint Anderson · Democrat, Assembly
- Elijah Behnke · Republican, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Russell Goodwin · Democrat, Assembly
- Rick Gundrum · Republican, Assembly
- Sarah Keyeski · Democrat, Senate
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Kreibich · Republican, Assembly
- Maureen McCarville · Democrat, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- Sylvia Ortiz-Velez · Democrat, Assembly
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- Shelia Stubbs · Democrat, Assembly
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
How lawmakers voted
There was one vote on this bill.
Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety vote to recommend it
Passed, 8 to 0 · Feb 16, 2026
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 8, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Mar 23, 2026
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Feb 26, 2026
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Feb 16, 2026
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 8 to 0.
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Feb 4, 2026
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Feb 4, 2026
The committee held a public hearing.
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Feb 3, 2026
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Jan 16, 2026 to Jan 30, 2026
2 more representatives and 1 senator signed on in support.
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Jan 15, 2026
Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.
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Jan 15, 2026
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Jan 15, 2026 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Jacque, Spreitzer and Habush Sinykin; cosponsored by Representatives O'Connor, Mursau, Stubbs, Gundrum, Kreibich, Dittrich, Ortiz-Velez, Sinicki, Behnke and McCarville
- Jan 15, 2026 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety
- Jan 16, 2026 · Senate
Senator Keyeski added as a coauthor
- Jan 26, 2026 · Senate
Representative Anderson added as a cosponsor
- Jan 30, 2026 · Senate
Representative Goodwin added as a cosponsor
- Feb 3, 2026 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Feb 4, 2026 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Feb 4, 2026 · Senate
Representative Knodl added as a cosponsor
- Feb 16, 2026 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Feb 16, 2026 · Senate
Report passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 8, Noes 0
- Feb 16, 2026 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Feb 26, 2026 · Senate
Representative Subeck added as a cosponsor
- Mar 23, 2026 · Senate
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote